MOUNT PLEASANT — A longtime employee of a Mount Pleasant industrial equipment installer has been charged federally with wiring herself more than $265,000 of company funds.
Schuf USA, a company that designs and manufactures industrial valves for companies in the chemical and energy sectors, hired Katherine Duska in 2005, according to a federal indictment filed May 14.
She was a longtime employee who “held a position of trust” and enjoyed “significant autonomy,” according to the indictment.
Duska eventually became responsible for all accounting and payments to the company’s employees, suppliers and vendors. She had signature authority on the company’s checking accounts, according to the indictment.
Schuf USA used a payment template to pay its employees, suppliers and vendors by automated clearing house transfers.
Duska is accused of deleting the bank account number of at least one vendor and entering her bank account number instead. She then allegedly processed at least three payments to this vendor, knowing they would be wired into her account instead.
On May 25, 2021, she allegedly wired herself $11,801. On Feb. 2, 2022, she allegedly wired herself $20,352. On July 1, 2022, she allegedly wired herself $30,860.
In total, she is accused of obtaining more than $265,000 from July 2016 to July 2022.
Duska’s first appearance in federal court is scheduled for May 28. She could not be reached for comment, and no defense attorney has entered the case as of May 16.
Schuf USA declined to comment.
